Choosing The Base of Salads

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I have to admit how disappointed I was when I went to BBQs here. Grilling chuck steaks and sausages in a synthetic lining, bottles of barbeque sauce, sad looking salads, heavy salad dressings… Or maybe I’ve just been to all bad ones. I’m not a huge meat eater and thus going to a BBQ means pretty starving for me. Salads, especially, look so unloved. It’s just a side dish no one really touches. Can you name more than five salad veggies? Here is a thing. If you are a fan of healthy eating and cares about what goes into your body, then there is a homework for you. Go down to the local market or farmer’s market on the weekend and explore salad veggies. See how they look like, their names, smells, tastes, texture. You will be pretty impressed there is a whole world of veggies out there from spicy arugula to tender butter lettuce. Just in case I haven’t told you yet, I love going to the grocery shopping as much as clothes shopping. I will list some of the examples with photos and nutrition facts below.

  • Butter lettuce: Good source of vitamin A, K and folate. Soft and buttery textured leaves.
  • Cabbage: Dense, waxy, crunchy texture. Red cabbage has twice the vitamin C as green cabbage.
  • Iceberg lettuce: You will all know this one. Light and crunch texture. A good source of vitamin K, but that’s about it. Not much nutrition unfortunately.
  • Radicchio: Purple round heads of bitter leaves. Rich in phosphorus, calcium, vitamin B and C. Beautiful both raw and grilled
  • Romaine: Rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, beta-carotene, vitamin A, B and C
  • Arugula (Roquette, Rocket): Peppery mustard flavour and nutty flavour. Contains anti-cancer properties.
  • Spinach: Tender, sweet, salty leaves. Rich in vitamin A, B, C, folate, iron, calcium and magnesium.
  • Kale: Sweet and tender greens. Very high in beta-carotene, vitamin K and C, calcium, anti-cancer properties.
  • Watercress: Peppery and tangy flavour. Rich in iron, calcium, iodine, folic acid, vitamin A and C, anti-cancer properties.

Try to mix 2-3 different variety of greens when you make a salad, for example, mild lettuce + crisp romaine + peppery arugula. That’s the foundation of your salad. Then you can add other ingredients like carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, what ever you feel like. Some suggestions for salad topping?

  • Crunchy: Nuts, pita chips, edamame, sugar snap peas, sweet potato, broccoli, pumpkin, beetroot, fennel, celery
  • Chewy: Dried fruits, sun-dried tomatoes, peas, corns, lentils, beans, tempeh
  • Fruity: apple, pear, nectarine, mango, berries, grapes
  • Creamy: cheese, hummus, yogurt
Posted in: salads, Vegetarian

Sushi Bowl

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Sushi BowlSushi or sashimi is one of my favorite foods to have when I’m out somewhere either from the restaurant or from the sushi roll take-away shops. It’s relatively healthy, gluten-free, easy on the go food. For deconstructed sushi bowl, you probably need rice, avocado, nori, etc that you normally see in sushi roll. I made my own twist putting in my kimchi, beans instead of rice and soy-tahini dressing instead of wasabi-soy dressing. The recipe is flexible and should be adjusted based on what you have on hand when you create your own flavourful sushi bowl. Chop your favorite vegetables and protein and throw them on top of complex carbs in a bowl. It is an easy way to eat clean, nourishing and healthy.

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup cooked soybeans
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup sliced cucumber
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1 bok-choy
radish kimchi
100g smoked salmon
coriander

For Soy-Tahini dressing
1 tsp of tahini paste
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tsp of honey
1 tsp of soy sauce1 tsp of sesame oil
1 tsp of sesame seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and boil pre-soaked beans for 20 minutes until cooked. In the mean time, prepare other vegetables and make a dressing. Drain the beans and assemble the salad. Drizzle a dressing over the salad before serve.
Sushi Bowl2

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, salads

Grapes, Lentil and Feta Salad

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Grape Lentil Salad1This is the kind of salad I’ve been making so many times. Lentils are a staple of my diet and perfect in summer salads, soup, vegetarian burger, curry and spreads. I like them because of their nutty and earthy flavour and creamy texture. Not only that, lentils are a powerhouse of nutrition. They are a good source of potassium, calcium, zinc, niacin and vitamin K, but are particularly rich in dietary fiber (good for digestive system), lean protein (make you full for longer), folate and iron. French lentils are my favorite because they don’t need pre-soaking, don’t get mushy or dry, and retain their shape very well after cooking. They taste so much better when you cook dried lentils at home rather than buy canned lentils, not to mention it is fresher and contains less salt and all that.

A few tips when you cook lentils! Wash and pick any bad ones or debris that might be in dried lentils. Cover with water in a pot and bring them to a rapid simmer, and then reduce the heat to low for the rest of cooking. About 10 minutes, take them off the heat, drain and rinse in cold water. Make sure they are not too mushy, which means overcooked. Add salt or acidic ingredients after cooking them otherwise lentils will get touch and not get cooked properly. Old lentils take longer to cook. So always keep fresh lentils in your pantry.

Grape Lentil SaladIngredients

1/2 cup of french lentils, rinsed and cooked
1/2 cup of diced cucumber
1/2 cup of red grapes, halved
1 cup of green salads
50g crumbled feta cheese
handful of toasted walnuts

For dressing
1 tsp of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp of e.v.o.o
1 tsp of honey
a squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, My recipes, salads, Vegetarian

Zucchini Noodles with Tahini

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Zucchini NoodlesA few tips when you make zucchini noodles

  • After making noodles using a julienne peeler, you need to allow the liquid to drain because zucchini releases a lot of water. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt and let it sit for 10 minutes. Drain, squeeze and pat dry the noodles. You can use a cheesecloth or kitchen towel to get rid of excess water.
  • Make a good dressing to go with such as tahini, pesto or tomato. Zucchini can be quite bland by itself. So it is crucial to add a flavoursome dressing, other veggies and crunchy toppings to make the noodles interesting.

Zucchini Noodles1
Ingredients

1 zucchini
a bunch of coriander
1 teaspoon of Himalayan salt
1 tablespoon of tahini paste
1 teaspoon of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of coconut vinegar
1 teaspoon of coconut amino sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon of maple syrup
50g feta cheese
1 teaspoon of sesame seeds
pepper to taste

Using a julienne peeler or mandoline, slice the zucchini into long strands. Place them in a bowl and toss with a teaspoon of salt.  Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Then drain, gently squeeze and get rid of excess water. To make a tahini dressing, mix tahini paste, coconut oil, vinegar, amino sauce, maple syrup and pepper in a small bowl. Dress the zucchini noodles and coriander with dressing and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with sesame seeds and crumbled feta cheese.

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, salads, Vegetarian

Summer Peach Salad with Chicken

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Peach SaladI saw beautiful juicy peaches at the shops today. I wanted to make a nice summer peach salad with some chicken for tonight. Peaches are rich in phytochemicals (antioxidants) that fight against diabetes, heart disease and cancer. This orange/ yellow fruit has beta carotene which is responsible for eye health and blood circulation. Want beautiful skin? You should eat these guys more. Vitamin A and C in them keeps your skin healthy, great for skin care. Peaches can also calm down an upset stomach and help you lose weight because it has low calories with no fat. For the recipe, I added chicken and toasted bread for Daniel, but you can make it a vegetarian salad without them. Weather is cooling down slowly. Enjoy summer fruits as much as you can now before they are gone!

Peach Salad2Ingredients

600g of grilled chicken
1 cup of sliced peaches
2 cups of lettuce
1 cup of bitter greens
1/2 cup of coriander leaves
1 stick (about 50g) of crumbled feta
2 tsp of toasted pepitas
1 tsp of poppy seeds

For dressing
1 tsp of Dijon mustard
1 tsp of honey
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tsp of e.v.o.o
salt and pepper to taste
To assemble the salad, toss the chicken, lettuce and green leaves in desired amount of the dressing. Arrange sliced peaches and finish the salad with crumbled feta, toasted pepitas and poppy seeds on top. Serve with warm toasted bread.

Posted in: Dinner, Lunch, My recipes, salads